


Fear

by pixelated



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boggarts, M/M, Post-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, hogwarts365, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 07:39:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18442037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixelated/pseuds/pixelated
Summary: After the events of PoA, Remus’s boggart takes a new form.





	Fear

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from hogwarts365 on tumblr: Tremble

He swallows the lump in his throat, and with shaky hands, inches toward the antique armoire. He takes a deep breath. Twists. Pulls the door open.

“Remus…” the thing croaks, reaching out. The hand is skeletal— just a paper-thin layer of white skin stretched over bones. The nails are long, with something dark caked under them. Dirt or blood. It steps out of the wardrobe slowly, pressing one foot, then the other, to the stone floor.

Its feet are bare, and just as thin and grimy as the hands. The skinny legs emerge next, then an emaciated body clad in filthy striped robes. The creature smells like rot. Like death.

Remus holds his wand out in front of himself and steps backward, away from the thing, staggering and bumping into his desk as he does, unable to keep his eyes off of the face.

The man never looked like this in his youth. This thing… it’s ghastly. Its cheeks are sunken, eyes that were once vibrant and full of life are hollow and menacing. Its hair is longer than it’d been in the past, lank and duller than it’d been when he knew him before. Matted. Partially dreadlocked.

“Remus,” it repeats, cracked lips snarling around brown teeth, eyes flashing menacingly. “You gave up on me. You left me in there.”

“Please,” Remus whispers, fingers tightening around his wand. He points it at the thing, conjuring the will to keep it at bay.

“I waited twelve years for you to come!” it cries.

Remus’s outstretched arm trembles as a sob wracks through him.

“I’m sorry!” he shouts. “I’m so sorry!”

“I loved you, and you thought me a murderer!”

“STOP!” Remus shrieks. He can’t prevent the tears.

A knock. A voice through his door.

“Remus?”

“You thought I’d killed them!” the thing wails, moving closer. He turns his face away from its rancid breath. The thing curls its bony fingers around his wrist.

Remus drops his wand. It rolls away from him.

“Please, stop,” he breathes, slumping sideways. He closes his eyes.

He hears the door bang open. Hears Sirius’s voice.

“Remus? Fuck! _Riddikulus_!”

Sirius’s arms are around him, cradling him.

But he can’t forgive himself.


End file.
